I think that it is interesting how the condemned souls can trick the demons, like we see in Canto 22. I feel like it shows that these demons, even though them seem to hold some power in hell as a torturers, really are powerless and not intelligent. I feel like the common conception of demons are that they do the work of the devil and are under his control, but that is not the way Dante is making them at all. We know from class that Dante makes the devil a dumb, babbling fool who has no power what so ever. This is because he was beat by God and now is suffering God’s wrath. From this it is impossible that the Devil is in control of the demons and therefore God must be in control of them. However, the demons are more animal like than anything else. The run on emotions and lack control. That is why they can be tricked by the souls, even though the souls are of dead people they were humans at one point, and that means they still are intelligent.
As for a quote I chose line 37 in Canto 23 because it shows the connection that Dante and Virgil have by this point. “My leader seized me quickly like a mother who is awakened by a noise…” We began to discuss in class the relationship that is forming between Dante and Virgil, which is a caring for each other, but here we see a loving relationship. Virgil is not only leader and master, but also caregiver and protector.
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